Ball throwing apparatus



Feb. 14, 19133.

H. R. MCEACHERN BALL THROWING APPARATUS Filed March 15, 1930` 2Sheets-Sheet l torney Feb. 14, 1933. H. R. MCEACHERN 1,897,317

BALL THROWING APPARATUS Filed March l5, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v nveniorHenry/ENC fac/verf:

@y Bg MW a 7M Patented Feb. 14, 1933 n'mmv a. mmm, or sronmi, wnsmefronnam. rnnovgnre urm'rus appunti nea umn '15, 1930. smal nu. 436,029.

My invention relates to ball throwing apparatus and is particularlyadapted for pitching baseballs to ball players in practice. Certainobjects of the invention are to provide a portable apparatus forprojecting balls having a housing that is arranged to be moved bothhorizontall and vertically, means for automatically ceding balls to theprojector elements, automatic means whereby the projector elements areintermittently and continuously retracted and released, adjustments forthe springs that supply the ejecting force, shock absorbing devices forthe projector elements, and other novel kfeatures of construction andarrangement.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds the invention consists of the novel construc- 20tion, adaptation, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed. These objects are accomplished by devicesillustrated in the accompanying drawings; wherein Figure 1 is a generalexterior view in perspective of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a view in central longitudinal vertical section of the same;

Fig. 3 is a view in transverse vertical section taken substantially onya broken line 3, 3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a'detail view in horizontal section taken on a broken line 4,4 of Fig. 2 and showing the projector gear wheel and associ- 35 atedelements;

Fig. 5 is a detail view in vertical section taken on a broken line 5, 5of Fig. 2 and showing the means for pivotally raising and lowering theapparatus;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view in vertical section and showingthe projector elements and associated parts in elevation;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view in elevation showing the means forpivotally raising and lowering the device;

Fig. 8 is a detail view in section taken on a broken line 8, 8 of Fig. 2and showing a shock absorber member;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view in vertical section taken on a brokenline 9, 9 of Fig. 2

and showing the ball release, projector cup and associated parts; and

Fig. 10 is a detail plan view of the projector cup.

Referring to the drawings throughout which like reference numeralsindicate like parts, the numeral 5 designates the base of the apparatuson which a disc plate 6 is pivotally mounted by means of a bolt 7 Saidplate may be manually revolved by means of a lever 8 pivotally mountedon a bracket 9 secured to the plate. The base is provided with aplurality of holes 10 adapted to be brought into registration with ahole through the disc plate and a pin 11, pivotally suspended from anextension arm 12 of the lever, may be lowered into the registered holesto retain the plate in stationary position as shown in Fig. 2.

A pair of standards 13 on the disc plate 6 provided bearings for a shaft14. The housing of the apparatus, as designated as a whole by thenumeral 15, is pivotally supported by bearings on the outer ends of saidshaft and one end of said shaft has a sprocket 16 secured thereto with achain 17 leading to another sprocket 18 connected to a stub-shaft 19whose bearing is connected to the apparatus housing.

Referring particularlyto Figs. 5 and 7 of the drawings, the means forpivotally raising and lowering the housing 15 comprises a diametricalgroove 20 provided in the sprocket 16 which slidably retains a pin 21having a rocker arm 22 pivotally and slidably connected thereto. Thecentral portion of said rocker arm is pivoted at 23 to a fixed arm 24extending from one of the standards 13, and its remote end is pivotallyconnected 90 to one end of a link 25. The other end of said link ispivoted to an extension 26 of a hand lever 27 which is pivotallyconnected at 28 to the housing 15. Said hand lever is provided at itsgrip end with the usual toothed 95 segment 29 and pawl whereby the levermay be held stationary in any desired position.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that the pin 21 may be shiftedfrom or toward the center of the sprocket 16 by moving the 100 handlever 27 backward or forward as desired thus giving a eater or a lesspivotal movement to the roc er arm 22 when said sprocket is rotated. Itwill also be apparent that the rotation of said sprocket will cause therocker arm to alternatively move the lever extension 26 up and down, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 7, and carrying the housing 15therewith by reason of its p1votal connection thus causing said housingto be pivotally raised and lowered on its pivotal sup ports.

The stub-shaft 19 has a relatively large worm ear 30 fixed thereto andwhich is driven y a worm 31 on a shaft 32 from a motor 33. Said wormgear is provided with a diametrical slot 34 having oppositely delectedend portions35. A bar 36 has one of its deflected ends slidably disposedwithin said slot and its other end pivotally connect- 'ed to arelatively long lever 37. Said long lever is pivotally mounted on theshaft 14, and is provided with a coil spring 38 connected thereto abovesaid shaft and a corres onding spring 39 connected adjacent its ower endbelow said shaft.

The bent ends 35 of the slot 34 serve as shoulders to hold the deflectedend of the bar 36, and assumin that the worm gear 30 is revolvin in acloclrwise direction, said bar will pivot ly draw the long lever 37 tothe positlon shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 6 thus creating greattension in the springs 38 and 39 as will be understood. When the wormgear reaches a certain point in its rotary movement its bar will slipfrom its hold on the deected end of the slot thus releasing the longlever which will be pivotally projected by the springs to the dottedpositions with considerable force. The opposite defiected slot end willthen catch and carry the bar around and the projecting function of thedevice will thus be repeated as long as the worm gear continues torevolve.

A shock absorber device shown in detail in Fig. 8, com rising a pair ofspaced apart rods 40 secured to the forward slanting wall of the housing15 each having a coiled spring 41 mounted thereon with a saddle member42 slidably mounted on said rods and resting on the tops of saidsprings, is disposed in the path of the long lever 37. The centralderessed portion of the saddle may have a rubger pad or other cushiontherein to aid in absorbing the shocks caused by impact of said lever. Asecond shock absorber disposed at the lower end of said long levercomprises a rod 43 pivotally connected to a bracket 44 secured to theapparatus housing. The lower end of said long lever slidably traversessaid rod and a coiled spring 45 mounted on the free end of the rod takesup the shock of the lower end portion of the long lever upon im acttherewlth. Y

hand lever 46, pivotally mounted on the shaft 14, has an arm 47pivotally connected therewith and extending forward to a pivotalconnection with a short upstanding lever 48. Said short lever ispivotally connected at 49 to a bottom ange of the housing 15 and thespring 38 is connected to the upper end of the short lever. The lowerend of the hand lever 46 has an arm 50 pivoted thereto, in the oppositedirection of the arm 47 from said lever, and extending to a pivotalconnection with a short depending lever 51 that is pivotally connectedat 52 to the apparatus housing. The outer end of the spring 39 issecured to the lower end of said short depending lever. It will beobvious that by moving the hand lever backward the tension of both thesprings 38 and 39 will be increased through means of the aforesaid leverconnections, and by moving saidhand lever forward the tens1on of saidsprings will both be decreased. A toothed segment and pawl may beprovided for said hand lever thus completlng the means foradj usting thetension of the two projector sprlngs. y

The upper end of the long lever 37 has a projector arm 53 pivotedthereto whose other end is pivoted to a rojector cup 54. Referringespecially to ig. 9, said projector cup travels on a pair of oppositelydisposed angle iron members 55 secured to the housing 15 and which fitinto ooves in the bottom portion of the cup. Sid angle iron guidestogether with an arched upper wall 56 provide a tube or barrel for theprojector cup in its functional movements. Said cup is provided with apair of spring fingers 57 which yieldingl hold the ball until it isreleased at the disc ar e end 58 of the tube or barrel. An upstan ingflange shoulder 59 is provided on top of the projector cup for reasonspresently set forth.

The balls are fed into the apparatus through a hopper 60 and passdownwardly through a chute 61 into the projector cu 54. Means forautomatically feeding the alls one at a time to said cup are provided bymeans of a feed box 62 disposed between the top of the housing 15 andthe upper arched wall 56 of the tube or barrel. Said feed box isarranged to slidably move back and forth through said chute by suitableslot and guide means. As shown in Fig. 9, the sides of the feed box litsnugly against and within the sides of the chute and said box is of alength that is more than twice the width of said chute.

Referring to Fig. 2, the top of the feed box 62 is provided with a rearopening 63 leaving a forward top wall portion 64, and its bottom isprovided with a forward opening 65 leaving a rear bottom wall or floorportion 66. A depending ange shoulder 67 is provided on said floorportion that is adapted to be engaged by the corresponding shoulder 59on the projector cup 54. A spring 68 secured to the forward end of saidfeed box and to the arched upper tube wall 56 provides means for forwardmovement of the box. When the projector cup is drawn back its shoulder59 catches on the shoulder 67 of the box carrying said box to theretracted position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. l

In this position the ball which had been resting on the floor 66 of thefeed box 62 will drop down through the bottom feed boX opening 65 intothe projector cup 54 and at the same time the upper wall portion 64 willprevent other balls from entering said box. Immediately upon release ofthe box the spring 68 will move same to the dotted position shown inFig. 2 and the ball resting on its top wall portion will drop into thebox through the opening 63 and rest on the iioor portion 66 in readinessfor a repetition of the foregoing process.

It will thus be seen that the ball feeding means is actuated by thehereinbefore projector means. Each time the bar 36 releases the longlever 37 the springs 38 and 39 will coact in causing a violent movementof said lever to the dotted position shown in Fig. 2 whereby theprojector cup 54 is moved close to the discharge end 58 of the tube orbarrel. Upon the sudden stop of said cup caused by impact of the longlever with the previously described shock absorber devices the ball willrelease itself from the spring fingers 57 and be projected into space. Y

It will now be apparent that I have provided a portable andcomparatively simple ball projecting apparatus that is adapted toautomatically throw balls one after another with considerable force,together with means .for adjusting and regulating the force, automaticmeans for pivotally raising and lowering the apparatus with adjustingmeans for the same, means for manually moving lthe apparatus in ahorizontal plane, and means for absorbing the shock caused by impact ofthe projecting elements.

Having thus described my invention, it being understood that minorchanges may be resorted to in its construction and arrangement withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the invention, what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A ballthrowing apparatus having in combination a housing mounted for verticaland horizontal pivotal movement, a tubular barrel carried by thehousing, an ejector cup slidably disposed within the barrel a leverejector pivotally mounted within the housing and connected tothe ejectorcup, springs adapted to violently move said ejector lever on its pivotwhen released from a retracted position whereby a ball is forciblyejected from the housing, by the ejector cu means for adjusting thesprings, shock absor ers for the lever ejector, means whereby the leverejector is intermittently and continuously retracted and released, andhopper means whereby balls are fed by gravity to said ejector at eachretractile movement thereof.

2. In a ball throwing apparatus the combination with a housing, atubular barrel having an aperture in its upper side, an ejector cupslidably mounted within the barrel, and means for causing violentprojectile and diminished retractile movements of the ejector cup, ofmeans for automatically feeding balls to said ejector cup, said meanscomprising a hopper and chute communicating with the aperture in thebarrel, a feed box arranged for slidable movement through the lower endof the chute, and means for causing reciprocative movement of the feedbox whereby balls are fed one at a time to the ejector cup.

3. In a ball throwing apparatus the combination with a housing, atubular barrel having an aperture in its upper side, an ejector cupslidably mounted within the barrel, and means for causing violentprojectile and diminished retractile movements of the ejector cup, ofmeans for automatically feeding balls to said ejector cup, said meanscomprising ahopper and chute communicating with the aperture in thebarrel, a feed box arranged for slidable movement through the lower endof the chute, said feed box having a rear top opening and a forward topwall portion and a forward bottom opening and a rear floor portion, andmeans for causing reciprocative movement of the feed box whereby ballsare fed one at atime from the chute through the feed box to the ejectorcup.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

HENRY R. MCEACHERN.

